Sen. Scott Wilk’s bill aimed at reducing animal shelter overcrowding

California Sen. Scott Wilk announced on Thursday his bill to help reduce overcrowding at animal shelters across the state.

Wilk’s bill, which would expand access to low and no-cost spay/neuter services, will advance to the Assembly Floor after making it off of the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s Suspense File, he stated.

“Overcrowding at California’s animal shelters have been at crisis levels for far too long,” Wilk said. “One of the largest contributors to this problem is the shortage of veterinarians available to perform timely and efficient spay and neuter services.’

Wilk added that the bill is a much-needed first step toward addressing this crisis.

Senate Bill 1233 would establish a framework for California’s two accredited schools of veterinary medicine at UC Davis and Western University of Health Sciences, to create a first-in-the-nation High-Quality High-Volume Spay/Neuter certification program.

The high-quality certification program is a minimally invasive surgical technique that enables veterinarians to perform large numbers of spay and neuter procedures at low or no cost, Wilk’s office stated.

A 2021 study from UC Davis estimated that 150,000 dogs and cats go unspayed or unneutered in California each year. As a result, approximately 100,000 animals are euthanized in shelters across the state.

"Our shelters, especially in the High Desert, are overwhelmed, and too many animals have lost their chance at a loving home through no fault of their own,” Wilk said. “We have a responsibility to fix this, and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line.”

Wilk represents California's 21st Senate District, which includes the Antelope Valley, the Santa Clarita Valley, and the Victor Valley.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Sen. Scott Wilk’s bill aimed at reducing animal shelter overcrowding